


Crooked Halo

by HuntingPeople



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angel Amanda Stern, Angel Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Angel Elijah Kamski, Angel Gavin Reed, Angel Hank Anderson, Angel RK900, Angels are evil, Developing Relationship, Fallen Angels, Fluff and Angst, Heaven vs Hell, Hence why I didn't use archive warnings for those things, Mates, Mentions of brainwashing, No Smut, Nothing is too explicit, Pseudo-Incest, RK900 is called Richard, The absent unnamed God totally isn't Chuck Shurley, Totally didn't borrow tiny bits of lore from Supernatural, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, War, Wings, Yep you read that relationship tag right, but FAR more fluff, but they aren't TECHNICALLY related, i can and will ship my top five fave characters together, in that they all refer to each other as brothers and sisters, mentions of abuse and manipulation, mentions of torture, this really isn't the fic for anyone who's religious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 04:17:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20829281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HuntingPeople/pseuds/HuntingPeople
Summary: "I've come to collect my little brother.""You can't have him.""EnoughAmanda, it's obvious his halo will never grow properly. I will be leaving shortly, and when I do, Gavinwillbe leaving with me. Whether or not you allow it.""Take him then, he's useless to us."-Loosely based off of a Tumblr post where an angel's halo is actually two horns that have fused together and started to glow. This is a story takes place in a universe where this is fact, and explores the life of Gavin, a young angel who's horns just wouldn't cooperate, and how he found solace with Elijah, the first angel who'd been cast out of Heaven for his crooked halo.





	Crooked Halo

**Author's Note:**

> uH, yeah, so this happened. Started this fic in June and the bulk of it was written this month, and bOY did this fic get away from me. I don't wanna say it wrote itself, 'cause I definitely spent most of yesterday typing away, but I never really had a solid plan for where I wanted this to go, and yet I didn't have any trouble figuring this out along the way.
> 
> The fiveway relationship DEFINITELY wasn't a part of the original plan, but it happened. I imagine I'm the only actual fan of this ship lmao
> 
> Anyway, I could really drag this note out, but I don't want to, so just move along already, read the fic! I'm quite proud of it tbh-

Gavin was developing at a normal rate, they told him. He was gaining height every day, instinctively gaining the knowledge he was supposed to. Soon enough his wings would be big enough for him to try flying.

He was perfect, they told him, an excellent example of a young angel.

Then the faces started. 

The other angels looked at him with disgust, distain, and Gavin had no idea what he'd done wrong.

_Crooked halo_, he heard some of them whispering as he passed, _demon_.

Gavin didn't understand until one morning he was grabbed, pinned down by several angels while another took a saw and file to his horns. It _hurt_, but they didn't stop, not until Gavin's horns were worn down to a stump.

"There." One of them spat, "I hope for your sake they grow back properly."

They didn't.

Gavin's horns were painfully reduced to stumps again.

He checked his reflection every day. Prayed that his horns would grow and fuse together, to form the perfect halo all of his brothers and sisters had.

But they didn't.

The young angel tried to file his horns down himself, before anyone noticed, but it was too painful and he had to stop. Of course, the other angels noticed and _again_ Gavin's horns were hacked away at, despite his begging and pleading.

"_Why_?" He asked between sobs, after the fifth attempt at correcting his halo, "Why do they do it, Amanda? Why can't they just let my horns grow as they are?"

"Because," Amanada started softly, thumb stroking tears from the angel's cheeks, "Only those _filth_ we call Fallen have twisted horns like that. You won't be allowed to stay if your halo doesn't grow properly, and you don't want to be condemned to Hell do you?"

Gavin shook his head, the movement making his head pound, "No, of course not! I want to stay in Heaven! But it hurts so much and I don't like it, isn't there another way?"

The older angel's gaze turned cold, and the light of her halo seemed to glow brighter, "Don't show weakness, Gavin. If you submit to this fear, we will have no choice but to cast you out. An angel with a crooked halo has no place in Heaven."

She walked away, leaving Gavin alone in the bed. The bed where his limbs were restrained to stop him fighting, and his wings were clipped to stop him flying.

He didn't know how much time had passed, had lost count of how many times they'd tried to _fix_ his halo. He couldn't help but think that his halo was _meant_ to be that way, as it only ever became more and more painful, as the angels grew more desperate, trying to set the halo right before Elijah came.

They mentioned that name a lot and Gavin had no idea who it was. When he tried to ask, they mostly ignored him. Sometimes they would just hiss at him to be patient, that he'd soon come to learn.

Not long later, he got his answer. 

It was in the middle of the angels sawing off his twisted horns yet again. Gavin was screaming at them to stop, like he always did, and it took him a few moments to realize that they'd stopped and were silent.

He panted harshly, wished briefly that he had some water to soothe his sore throat, as voices started up again.

"I've come to collect my little brother."

"You can't have him."

"_Enough_ Amanda, it's obvious his halo will never grow properly. I will be leaving shortly, and when I do, Gavin _will_ be leaving with me. Whether or not you allow it."

"Take him then, he's useless to us."

A hand ran through Gavin's hair, too close to the ragged stumps of his horns, and he let out a whimper.

"Hush now, Gavin, it's all right."

It was the unfamiliar voice. _Elijah_, he guessed.

Gavin was scared, he didn't want to go with this stranger, "Amanda, please, don't make me go. I want to stay in Heaven!" He cried, finally working up the courage to open his eyes.

Amanda was looking at him with indifference, "You aren't our problem anymore." She turned to the angel- no, the _demon_ sitting on the edge of Gavin's bed. "Remove him from my sight, Elijah."

Elijah's twisted horns were huge and his feathered wings were stained black from the sin of Hell.

"I don't take orders from you anymore, Amanda." He hissed, getting to his feet, "Leave. I'd like a moment alone with my brother."

None of the angels moved.

Elijah snapped his fingers and one of them dropped to the ground, writhing in agony, mouth open in a silent scream.

"That wasn't a request."

The lower angels were quick to vanish after that, Amanda lingering just a moment longer before following after them.

Gavin could feel himself trembling, though he wasn't sure whether it was the fear, the anxiety, or the leftover ache in his horns.

That hand returned to his hair, careful to avoid his horns as it stroked soothingly, "There now, it's all over, Gavin." Elijah whispered.

"They hurt me." Gavin found himself saying through the tears, "T-they hurt me, even when I told them to stop! I ju-ust wanted them to s-stop!" He hiccuped, buried his face in the demon's chest as the sobs took over.

"Angels can't stand _different_." Elijah spat, though the anger in his tone didn't scare Gavin, "Amanda is cruel, always has been."

The fear he'd previously felt at the thought of meeting a demon slowly began to fade, being replaced with the feeling of _safe_ and _home_. Elijah was good, he'd take care of Gavin, and never hurt him, not like the angels did.

"Can we g-go? I want to get o-out of here." Gavin pleaded.

"Of course, my darling brother." Elijah soothed, scooping the small angel up, "Of course."

-

As angels grew, they instinctively gained knowledge. Of their species, of their Father, of the worlds around them. All of it just came to them until they reached maturity, when they knew everything and could perform any task they were given with the accuracy of any other angel.

That's how Gavin came to know the true nature of Elijah.

The first angel that Fell.

His horns hadn't formed the perfect halo like every angel's had before him. Their Father said that he was unholy, corrupted, a _demon_, and so they cast him out, to a place created just for him. 

That place had been Hell, a structure like an ever expanding castle. Residing within was of course Elijah, and all the angels that had Fallen after him, angels who's horns had refused to fuse together and angels who rebelled, purposely sawed off their halo with their own blades and forced it to grow crooked. In the lower section of Hell was what some might call the dungeons, where the rotten souls of humanity were sent once they left their physical bodies.

"That isn't entirely true." Elijah mumbled from his place on his throne.

"What isn't?" Gavin looked up at the demon, but didn't move from his place kneeling at his feet. He was older then, fully matured, but still so young by angel standards. His horns had grown out, twisted in all directions but the tips never joining, his wings had only just begun to darken from the corruption of Hell.

"The part about Hell is somewhat fine, but the story about me falling is a bastardized version."

Gavin frowned at that, "How is that possible?"

"Amanda has lots of little tricks up her sleeves. Would you like to know the truth?"

The angel nodded, let his cheeks rest against his King's thigh as he waited for the story to begin. He'd been offered his own throne right beside Elijah's, but Gavin much preferred the spot he was currently in.

"It's true that I was the first angel to Fall, but it wasn't because Father ordered it. It was Amanda who was scared, having never encountered an angel such as myself before. She tried to hide me away, stop the other angels from seeing, but they inevitably found me, discovered my deformed halo and it went quite down hill from there.

"Hell wasn't created specifically to contain me. It was already there, for the humans that Father had created, but it did need a leader, someone to make sure things ran smoothly." Elijah's grip momentarily tightened in Gavin's hair and at a pained hiss, he tutted, leaned down to place an apologetic kiss to the angel's head, "I'm sorry, love."

"I'm all right." Gavin reassured gently, "What happened next?"

"The other angels panicked. They had no idea what to do, they prayed to Father endlessly but he was long gone, we were all on our own and so they turned to Amanda for an answer. I don't think her intentions were cruel at the time, she just wanted to stop our brothers and sisters from being scared, and that meant casting me out, trapping me with no one but myself for company.

"It didn't take long for some angels to follow me, hating what Amanda did, believing that they never should have turned their backs on one of their own. So they mangled their own halos and made Amanda give them access to my world, then she began to spread lies that I'd manipulated them into doing so. She didn't want to lose another angel, so she did all she could, but it didn't work, and that only made her try harder. That's what led to the method she used on you. For some it worked, but for others, like yourself, it just wouldn't."

Gavin sat there and processed what the story meant for a moment, then his eyes met Elijah's cool blue ones, "We aren't evil...?"

"Not inherently, no. That's what they _force_ us to become, with their words and their methods. We had the potential to be just as great as any angel with a perfect halo, but they wouldn't let us, letting their fear of those that are different rule their lives and the decisions they made." Elijah slid from his throne to kneel in front of Gavin, "You had the potential to be one of the brightest angels if they'd just let your horns grow how Father intended, but now you're going to be the most beautiful Fallen, the strongest, worthy of ruling beside me."

The words had Gavin's feathers puffing up proudly, "I hate them." He hissed at the angel before him, "Every last one, but especially Amanda."

Elijah pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, "Good. Let that fuel you."

-

The demons that resided in Hell knew better than to mock Gavin for how he chose to live with them. Not the Fallen, but the true demons, human souls turned from years of torture. They knew that no matter what they did, they would always rank below Elijah's chosen, even if he chose to kneel beside the throne instead of sitting in his own right beside it, or even standing at attention.

When bringing potentially bad news to their King, they knew to be especially polite to both of the Fallen angels, which meant that they immediately suspected something was amiss.

Elijah uncrossed and re-crossed his legs in the opposite way, glaring down his nose at the pair of demons, "Well? Out with it."

"It's an angel, my Lord. He wanted to speak with you."

"Fallen?"

"No, my Lord."

"Bring him in." Gavin ordered, "I wish to hear what he has to say."

"Right away, my Lord."

Gavin stood from his cushion and Elijah sat up a little straighter, adjusting the way his wings rested against his back to make him appear larger.

The demons exited and came back only seconds later, dragging a large, shackled angel behind them. His halo glowed brightly, almost blindingly, and the white of his feathers had been dirtied from dragging on the floor. Bound as they were, he couldn't hold them up properly.

He was thrown at the King's feet, where he stayed. Long, grey hair covering his face, obscuring it from sight.

"Look up." Gavin hissed.

And the angel did so, fixing pale blue eyes on them, so similar to Elijah's.

"What brings you here, angel?"

"I know the truth." He said simply, "I wish to turn my back against Amanda and join you here."

"And your halo? Did Amanda not ask you to break it before you came here?"

"I did not come through her."

Elijah took a moment to think about it and Gavin's eyes flicked between the King and the angel.

"I know him." Gavin spoke up quietly.

The truth. Gavin recognized the angel from his time in Heaven. He'd been the only one to ever show Gavin any kindness, any kind of pity. Sitting with him and running fingers through his hair, massaging away the pain.

"I believe him." The Fallen angel said, blinking away tears.

Elijah leaned back in his throne, eyes on the bound angel, "Then you won't mind us taking care of this for you?" He lifted a booted foot to gently kick at the halo.

The angel didn't react, "Go ahead."

"Would you like to do the honours, Gavin?"

With a nod, Gavin took the blade from one of the demons, watched them each roughly grab a limb, forcing the angel into place.

He didn't flinch as the blade sawed through his horns, just continued to stare until it was done. The broken halo fell to the floor and there was silence.

Until Elijah broke it, "Do you have a name, Fallen?"

"Hank."

"Welcome to Hell, Hank." Elijah grinned.

-

The newly Fallen fit in nicely. He'd clearly been a higher ranking angel up in Heaven, and that commanding personality followed him to Hell. He effortlessly gained control of the demons and other Fallen with his size and his harsh tone, passing on orders from the King and the King's chosen.

He became a good friend to Elijah, a mentor of such to Gavin. Even though Gavin had the knowledge, the guidance of a more experienced angel was good for him.

Of all the Fallen that had come to Elijah, he couldn't imagine any beings more perfect than Hank and Gavin. Both of them sharing his hatred for Amanda, both of them willing to serve him, both of them so powerful, so respected by the residents of Hell.

Years passed, dozens of them, by human standards that is, time wasn't a particular construct that Hell followed.

The three of them ruled Hell with an iron fist. Nothing got past them, no crime went unpunished, but they punished fairly. Demons respected them. More Fallen than ever before were arriving, forcing Hell to expand quicker than it was used to, Amanda rapidly losing her hold on her brothers and sisters.

"You look like you're thinking hard."

Elijah blinked out of his trance, turned towards the man sat beside him in his own matching throne. The one Hank had wanted, claiming he was _'too damn old'_ to be kneeling on a cushion on the floor, the way Gavin preferred, when he wasn't sitting in either of the Fallen's laps.

"Hm?"

"Gavin and I have been talking for a while now and you haven't said a thing."

"Oh." Elijah cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, my mind was wandering."

"To what?" Gavin piped up.

Elijah allowed a grin to grace his face, "To my wonderful mates, how lucky I was to come across them."

Gavin nuzzled against Elijah's thigh, "I think my mates are quite wonderful too. Don't you think so as well, Hank?"

"Yeah, I guess I could say the same." Hank chuckled, leaning across the small gap between the thrones to pull the King into a kiss.

Gavin scrambled up from his spot on the floor, not wanting to be left out.

-

Sleeping wasn't a requirement for supernatural beings like them, but a large, comfortable bed was still a luxary Elijah liked to indulge in. A place for him to be alone and relax, among other things, away from the stress of running Hell. It only gotten better when Gavin had joined him, and later Hank, curling up beside them or between them or on top of them.

That's where he was currently, deep into a meditative state with his head on Hank's naked chest, Gavin squeezed tightly between them.

Until an incessent buzzing at the back of Elijah's head pulled him out of the haze.

Hell, with its ever expanding hallways and ever multiplying rooms, would be, well, _Hell_ to get around if someone had to just walk to wherever they needed to be. So it was made in such a way that any doorway you walked through would take you exactly where you wanted to go. Certain areas, like Elijah's private chambers, were off limits, unable to be accessed by anyone but the King himself and those he gave permission to.

Without a way to directly contact Elijah, they had to summon him.

With a furious growl, Elijah clambered out of the large bed, disturbing his mates as he did so.

"Sleep." He said softly at their curious looks, as he made sure his robe was properly secured, "I have some incompetent demons to deal with." He stepped out of his room and was immediately greeted with chaos.

Demons and Fallen fighting angels, filling the hallways, blocking escape.

"My Lord!" A demon called upon spotting Elijah, "We're under attack!"

That in itself was nothing new, but they'd never experienced an attack of that scale before. There were more angels around than Elijah had ever seen in one place, their wings and halos blindingly white, so much so that it worked in their favour. The Fallen were used to it, able to see through the holy light, but they were far outnumbered by demons too corrupted by sin and too easily effected by the glow.

They weren't going to win the battle unless he did something.

He worried for Hank and Gavin, but knew they could handle themselves just fine, and threw himself into the heat of the battle.

It was long and bloody, hundreds were lost, if not thousands, from either side, but Hell won. Angels Fell mid battle, joined the demons and the rest of the Fallen, and with their help, they drove the angels back, forced them out. Amanda was nowhere to be found, but other prisoners would be taken, they'd get to her soon enough.

The following hours after the battle were dedicated to clean up, finding out how many they'd lost, how many had joined. Making sure the human souls were all where they were supposed to be, that prisoners were all properly secured and ready to speak to Elijah.

Throughout it all, Elijah hadn't caught a glimpse of his lovers, but he knew they were all right, they had to be. He thought about them as he made his way to the dungeons, examined the rows of cells containing angels, thought about which to question first. The stubborn ones were the lowest priority, so Elijah turned his attention to the easier targets.

Perhaps they'd be more willing to talk when Elijah was covered in their allies' blood.

One by one, he picked the angels off, extracting whatever information he could before moving on to the next. 

The final angels looked to be a pair of twins, the similarities between them so unusual. Not actual twins though, as the taller of the two was clearly so much younger than his brother beside him. They both had defiant looks on their faces, and neither of them had said a word since they'd been placed in cuffs and had their wings clipped.

Just the sight of them was enough to get Elijah's blood boiling, both of them such perfect examples of Amanda's brainwashing.

But before Elijah could open his mouth to speak to them, his name was being called and someone was barrelling into him.

It was Gavin. Holding him in a crushing hug and breathing in his scent.

Elijah immediately wrapped his arms, then his wings, around the smaller Fallen, muttering soothing nonsense, "I'm okay, see? I'm fine, angel, I'm fine."

"Couldn't find you, I thought-"

Elijah cut him off with a kiss, "I'm all right." He reassured.

When he pulled away, he spotted Hank. Standing silently, tears in his eyes. He pulled Elijah into a hug, tighter than Gavin's had been, and wrapped his wings around them for a bit of privacy from the prisoners. "You didn't come back, so we looked for you, and then a demon came, we-" He paused, swallowed, "We were so scared."

Seeing his mates so hurt wasn't a nice experience, but Elijah didn't have the time right then to be able to soothe them both properly, reassure them that everything was okay, not with two prisoners right beside them.

The angels watched on silently, the taller of the two looking a little more curious than the shorter.

Gavin was already glaring hatefully at the both of them, always less concerned with expressing his emotions. "I saw the other angels. Did they offer up any information before you killed them?"

"Bits and pieces." Elijah answered, "But I don't believe they knew much, too low ranking."

"You must be tired, would you like help with these two?"

Elijah moved aside, allowed Gavin to step forward, "Be my guest."

Gavin slowly walked around the angels, took in the mangled patches of wing where flight feathers had been visciously ripped, took in the engraved manacles that held their hands high above their heads, forcing them to stretch out on their toes. Took in the bright, perfect halos.

"Thousands of your kind died today, even more died at the hands of Elijah here, what do you have to say to that?" Gavin asked when he'd come to a stop in front of them.

Neither of the angels spoke.

"Nothing to say? No prayers for those who died, for the Fallen who lost their lives?"

"I have no sympathy for traitors." The shorter angel spat.

"Even though they're you're own brothers and sisters? You angels disgust me, you like to act like you're one big family that cares for one another, but you're so quick to turn on your own the _second_ they act out of turn. You don't offer help, you don't even _try_. And when an angel chooses to Fall, you treat them as if they're no better than dirt."

"If an angel _chooses_ to Fall, they _chose_ to turn their back on their family."

"What about me, huh?" Gavin snapped, "I never had a choice! My halo wouldn't grow right so they _tortured_ me!"

"Then you were doomed to sin from the start."

Elijah stepped forward, used a wing to gently guide Gavin back, knew that his anger was getting to him. He wanted his mate out of the way for a chance to calm down, and also because he'd noticed something with the taller angel.

He seemed... guilty. Looking away, letting his wings droop behind his back. Elijah wanted to know what he'd done.

"You." Elijah spoke up, "What's your name, angel?"

Sad blue eyes blinked at him and a quiet, deep voice replied, "...Richard."

"Richard." The King repeated softly, "Tell me, why did I have no idea this attack was coming? We had so many Fallen coming to us, one of them would have said something."

The shorter angel protested, demanded his brother stay silent, but Richard ignored him, "She threatened to kill them." He swallowed, took a deep breath, "Any angel that came to her, asking to Fall, she threatened. Instead she sent one of us in their place, to watch you, watch Hell, and report back to her." Richard paused for a moment before speaking again, "That's why you knew nothing, and she knew everything."

"Richard, stop!" The shorter angel screamed, "_Shut up_! Stop talking to them!"

The taller angel closed his eyes and turned his head away from his brother, "She feared you. Thought you were growing too powerful with the amount of Fallen she was sending over, so she stopped and started plotting. She wanted to-... she wanted to kill you all and gain control over the demons, so Hell would be all hers."

"Thank you." Elijah said earnestly, "I have one more question."

Richard nodded.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

The other angel had started getting physical with his arguments, struggling against the chains, flapping his wings, kicking his legs.

Hank and Gavin intervened without being asked, taking a hold of the angel and silencing his cries, stilling his movements.

"Please don't hurt him."

"We aren't going to, Richard." Elijah insisted.

It took the larger angel a full minute to compose himself, work up the courage to speak. When he did, he met Elijah's eyes, spoke confidently, "I wish to Fall, my Lord. I'm tired of Heaven, of Amanda's control, I've known for a while that it wasn't right, but coming here now, meeting you..." He looked at Gavin, then to Hank, then back to Elijah, "I see now just how bad it's become. Please, let me join you. Amanda must be stopped."

Elijah considered it, "Then you won't mind us breaking your halo? It will hurt. A lot."

"I know that." Richard gulped, "I'm ready for it." He bowed his head, presenting his halo for the Fallen.

Elijah had the saw with him, from the torture of the previous angels and he removed it swiftly. 

Richard flinched and cried out as his halo was taken from him, but he didn't fight them. When it was over, he hung limply in the chains, tried to blink away the tears in his eyes.

"Welcome to Hell, Richard."

"Th-thank you, my L-Lord." Richard panted.

Elijah turned to the other angel, who's struggles had renewed with force, but he was no match for the two Fallen, "What about you? Would you like to join your brother?"

The angel shook his head vehemently, teeth clenched tight around the gag in his mouth.

"Suit yourself." Elijah shrugged, "I'll send a demon to release you shortly, Richard. You will be watched by demons and Fallen, and contact with your brother is forbidden until it's proven that you're on our side. Forgive us for being a little paranoid, but I'm sure you can undersand why."

"Yes, my Lord, of course. Thank you."

-

Richard set a perfect example, doing everything he was told without a single complaint. Elijah was pleased that the Fallen was so eager to prove he was trustworthy, but he also suspected that some of his obedience was leftover from Amanda's programming and it made him... sad. He wanted to see Richard being more independent, to discover what he could do for himself.

Still, Elijah couldn't find it in himself to be upset with how much information Richard had to share on Amanda and how she ran Heaven in the absence of their Father. It turned out that he and Connor, the angel he was captured with, were incredibly close to the angel. Her personal little pet projects, more heavily brainwashed than the rest of the angels had been, more closely monitored for little sparks of _deviancy_ as she called it. 

That's how they discovered that Connor wasn't the perfect little angel they'd originally thought him to be. 

When Connor had come into being, his halo was crooked, just like Gavin's had been. He'd undergone the same corrections, carried out by Amanda's followers, the only difference was that it had actually worked for him. His horns had grown how they were _'meant to'_, and Amanda had earned herself a loyal little toy.

Richard came around some time later, after Connor had fully matured, and his horns had fused right from the beginning. Already, he was a better angel than Connor had been, and he instantly earned the _'love'_ and respect of Amanda. Later on, he started to deviate, show the same traits that the Fallen had, and Amanda had tightened her grip on him. Not allowed him to stray to far, scaring him with everything she had.

Both of Amanda's little fledgelings had flaws, but she was a master manipulator, and keeping them under her control, filling their heads with lies, was second nature to her.

"I can't believe I ever used to think you were evil..." Richard whispered, "You've been nothing but kind to me, all of the Fallen here have, I-... I feel horrible, I just hope Connor will soon come to see it too. When can I see him?"

"Soon." Elijah said quietly, "But the visit will be supervised."

"That is understandable, my Lord."

Elijah smiled and excused himself, hoped it didn't come across as too weird.

The story was worrying, because Elijah should have been able to sense all of the Fallen, the _true_ Fallen, the ones who didn't get a choice. And yet he had no idea about Connor. Come to think of it, it had been a long while since he'd gone to Heaven to bring a Fallen angel home.

When he tried to access the realm, just as a test, he found he was locked out.

-

Richard seemed to take a special interest in Gavin, the angel that was just like his brother. One night found him sitting with the Fallen, carefully examining the base of his horns where the surface was bumpy and uneven, from the repeated 'resetting' of them, and not the natural ridges.

"Connor never wants to talk about what happened." The newly Fallen angel said, "I can only imagine how horrific it must have been."

"It was. But Elijah found me, and now I'm here, and I'm _safe_."

"Amanda told me about that, but I imagine it was a... _skewed_ version of events."

Gavin huffed, "Most likely, what did she tell you?"

"That Elijah stormed Heaven one day, cut down any angel that tried to stop him, and stole you away. Your story is quite a popular one, I've heard it many times."

"Well, it's bullshit!" Gavin hissed, drawing back to look into those blue eyes, "You know that, right? Elijah would _never_ do that, that's- it's _evil_, Elijah isn't evil. He does what he has to and nothing more."

"I know." Richard soothed, letting his hands fall to his lap, "I've never met anyone who's been kinder to me than Elijah has during my time here."

Just then, the door was opened and Elijah stepped in.

"Speak of the Devil." Gavin grinned, but his smile quickly fell when he saw the expression on the Fallen's face, "Elijah? Is everything all right."

"I'd like to speak to Richard. Alone. Please."

-

A plan to get back at Amanda was forming ever so slowly, after Elijah spent hours prying out every last drop of information he could from Richard, double and even triple-checking the facts. But as much as the angel complied, he only knew so much. 

Their ticket into Heaven was Connor. The angel that was older than Richard, that had gone through so much more than him. The only problem was that he was still fiercely loyal to Amanda, and when they'd taken Richard to visit him, they'd only been met with vitriol. Screams of _traitor_ and _demon_, the angel so unwilling to believe that his brother had chosen to join the opposite side.

"I could try to talk to him." Hank suggested.

"Not that I don't doubt your capabilities, but what makes you think that Connor would be more willing to talk to you than Richard here?" Elijah asked gently, hand on Hank's arms.

"I don't know." Hank said with conviction, "But I do know that I also have history with Amanda, and I would like a chance to try and make a connection with him. Just give me some time, please."

Elijah pressed a chaste kiss to the Fallen angel's lips, gently knocked their twisted horns together, "You have my permission."

"And mine." Gavin added reluctantly, replaced Elijah's lips with his own. He nudged a pitch black wing against the larger angel and urged, "Be careful."

"I will." Hank promised.

Richard looked apprehensive, "Please, don't hurt him." He said, echoing what he'd asked of them on the day he'd Fallen.

Hank didn't say anything, just wrapped his arms around the angel and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

-

They left Hank alone, gave him all the time and privacy he needed to get through to Connor. He didn't return that night, or the night after, but Elijah trusted him, knew the angel was doing exactly what he said he would.

Over time, the relationship developing between Richard and Gavin grew more and more obvious. With the way Gavin groomed Richard's darkening wings, the way he soothed the headaches of Richard's growing horns, the way Richard returned all of the affection, watched Gavin with the most longing looks. They were almost inseparable.

Elijah was... jealous. An emotion he'd never quite experienced before, and it was one he became intimately acquainted with while Hank was gone.

That and loneliness.

He'd spent a lot of time alone before, when Hell was filled with demons who hated him and Fallen that only wanted the protection he provided them. Elijah knew that there wasn't anything to worry about, Gavin was his _mate_, but he couldn't help it, couldn't help but think _what if_.

And the longer Hank was gone with Connor, the more the feelings worsened.

Gavin still spent time alone with him, of course, it was just less, and Elijah could tell that he was distracted by something.

-

Hank returned from the dungeons the human equivalent of one month later.

"Connor knows of the plans we've made, and the role we want him to take in them, and he's agreed to help us."

Elijah eagerly jumped up from his throne and all but threw himself into the larger angel's arms, enclosed them both in his pitch black wings. "Missed you." He whispered honestly.

"I missed you too." Hank mumbled back, smothering Elijah with soft kisses, "And Gavin too, of course." He laughed, accepting the smaller angel into his embrace as he bounced over to them. 

Elijah held them both tightly, breathed in their familiar scents, and it was he nicest moment he'd experienced since Hank had decided to talk to Connor. He was glad Richard wasn't there, and he could just enjoy the moment for a little while longer.

But soon he had to pull away, get back to business, "Where is Connor?"

"Still in his cell. I removed the chains, but I didn't want to fully free him without the King's permission."

"Then let's go pay him a visit."

-

The second Elijah entered the cell with his mates and Richard in tow, he could tell that something had happened between Connor and Hank and his heart sank. Ignoring it for the timebeing, he tried to focus on the angel.

"Hank says you've decided to help?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed, standing straight, head and wings held high. 

"You understand that, even though we need your halo in tact for this plan to work, from this point on you are a Fallen angel?"

"I understand."

"Good. Come with me. We have a lot of preparations to make."

He lead the way, with Gavin and Richard right behind him. Hank and Connor lagged, talking in hushed whispers.

Anxiety threatened to overwhelm him, drown him.

-

Perfecting the plan took hours. _Many_ long hours of the five of them discussing, sometimes shouting to get their idea across, last minute changes being applied and reworked until they fit, but finally they'd all decided on something solid. Something that could be implimented as soon as the rest of Hell had been briefed on their role.

The group split up, Elijah staying seated in his throne, while Hank and Gavin wandered away, sitting on the floor to groom at each other's wings and talk quietly amongst themselves. Richard and Connor were a bit further away, most likely catching up as the older angel fussed over the younger's clipped wings and newly growing horns.

Elijah didn't trust them at all.

He decided to keep a close eye on them, just in case.

And then Hank and Gavin started gravitating closer to the brothers and Elijah snapped.

"If you like them so much, you can be with them!" He snarled, then forced himself to calm down, "I don't- I don't like it... but if you'd be happier with them-"

"Elijah, what the fuck are you talking about?" Gavin questioned, squinting at the angel.

The King frowned, "I'm not stupid, I can see how... _infatuated_ you are with those two. Go, be with them, I won't stop you."

"Elijah..."

That tone had the Fallen's heart skipping a beat and he sucked in a breath, "No, I can't do this." He stood up from his throne, but was quickly cut off by his mates.

Hank was the one who spoke up, hands squeezing Elijah's shoulders, "_Listen_ to us, Elijah, this is- we- we talked, me and Gavin and-... we do like them, and we want to be with them, but you too, and each other still." He glanced at the two dark haired angels watching them, "We want... all five of us to be together."

Elijah's eyes widened, "That... I'll need time."

"Take as long as you want." Gavin said softly, "This isn't the best time, we can talk after...?"

After they executed their plan, he meant, the one that they most likely wouldn't all survive.

"Yes." Elijah agreed, "That will give me time to think, until then, please don't hold back on my account. Above all else, I want you both to be happy." He did his best to hold back the tears as Hank and Gavin tried to show him how much they still cared.

-

Connor, with his halo still intact, was able to contact Amanda and find a way back into Heaven. Then it was a waiting game, anxiously sitting around and trying their patience until the signal was finally given.

Once the signal was received, hours later, chaos ensued. _Millions_ of demons stormed Heaven, backed by thousands of Fallen. Their aim not kill or even harm any of the angels, unless in self-defense, but to capture the ones that worked directly under Amanda, gain control over them, so they could change how Heaven worked.

Amanda herself was the only intended casualty, and Connor apprehended her without a problem, took her somewhere away from the action where Elijah could deal with her later. He had to stay with her, to ensure she didn't escape, cause trouble, and though Connor's resolve started to crumble under her words, it held strong.

There was no way a war could have been fought without deaths, no matter how much one planned and plotted to avoid them. So the grounds of Heaven became littered with bodies and drenched in the blood of the fallen, just as Hell had been previously. And again, the battle was long, both sides fighting for the advantage, but Hell had the element of surprise on their side, along with sheer numbers. Though angels might have been stronger than lowly demons, they just couldn't compete.

The Fallen tried to use their words as much as their swords, just get the angels to realize how vile Amanda was, get them to see the _truth_.

With no need to sleep, no need for even the shortest rest, the war raged on for a full six days, until _finally_ Hell had forced Heaven back. Any angel not directly associated with Amanda was rounded up to be dealt with later, while her underlings were prepared for a thorough questioning. To find out which ones had good intentions, and which ones were just as bad as the human souls that festered in Hell.

Then it was Amanda's turn.

"Sister." Elijah started, looking down his nose at the angel bound on the floor, "When you cast me out all those years ago, I could understand your reasoning, but not anymore. You've become something so much worse than a demon. Has Father spoken to you, even once? Condoned any of this in all this time?"

"Not at all, but I know what's best for them."

"And what's best is _torturing_ angels that don't live up to _your_ standards? Manipulating them and making them feel so _unsafe_ in their own home? Claiming it's what Father wants?" Elijah was seething on the inside, but outside he looked just as calm as he'd always been, "You're a disgrace, Amanda. You are what you claim to be saving other angels from. All of that _deviancy_, all of those emotions and those traits that you believe makes them unholy, demonic, unworthy of staying in Heaven. Minus the crooked halo, you truly are the perfect example of one of your _demons_. 

"Hell is too good for you."

Amanda laughed. Something wicked and ugly.

"You think you've won, Elijah? You'll _never_ win. A Fallen angel has no place in our Father's paradise. You'll taint this place, destroy it with your sin, and then He'll come for you, and you won't be able to take Him out so easily."

"We'll see." Elijah hummed, raising the sword above his head.

The next few moments passed in a blur.

Their positions were reversed. Elijah on the ground with Amanda over him, sword in hand.

His stomach hurt, his whole body _burned_. He could see blue, mixed with red. There might have been voices, but sound was strangely muffled to his ears.

Everything went black soon after that.

-

Weeks of human time had passed. That's what Gavin told Elijah when he awoke.

Amanda had stabbed him, and though the wound was severe, it was sloppy and hadn't managed to kill him as swiftly as she'd been planning. She'd only managed to turn around before she found herself impailed on Hank's blade.

Dead.

She was dead.

After all those years, Heaven was finally free of her corruption.

Connor had taken over in Amanda's stead, and changes had been rapidly put into place.

Angels could let their horns grows as they pleased, and if they didn't fuse to become a perfect halo? That was fine. There was no threat of being cast out to some horrible place filled with monsters, they weren't insulted and belittled, they were just... there. Existing. There was no such thing as Fallen anymore, or _deviant_ angels.

Just angels.

Richard helped his brother, his time split between Heaven and Hell, now that special permission was no longer needed and either place was open to everyone. Except the demons who had to remain confined to Hell, of course, and the human souls that resided in Heaven, who had no idea about anything that had gone down.

It was exactly what they'd all wanted, what they'd planned for. 

In the grand scheme of things, everything was perfect, but on a more personal level, there still issues that needed to be addressed.

One thing was for certain, Elijah hadn't expected Connor to pull him into a desperate kiss the first time they met after the revolution. "I'm sorry." He whispered urgently, "It was all my fault, I wasn't watching her like I was supposed to, I-"

"It's a-all right." Elijah wheezed, awkwardly reaching up a hand to brush Connor's hair from his face. 

His glowing halo was captivating.

Elijah fought down the blush as he continued, "I don't blame you."

He looked at the other Fallen, the _angels_, surrounding his bed. All looking nervous, scared, of whatever Elijah's reaction would be.

"Perhaps now isn't the best time-" Gavin tried, but Elijah didn't let him finish.

"No. If we keep putting this off, we'll never end up discussing it." Elijah cleared his throat, gently pushed Connor off of him, "I... I'm willing to try this, if it makes you both happy... but I am doing this for myself as well, I might selfishly enjoy the attention of a couple more angels..."

Hank grinned at him, adorable little gap in his top front teeth showing, and Elijah was _smitten_. He reached out a hand to pull the angel down into his bed, then Gavin after him.

Richard stood, fidgeting, until Elijah waved him over.

"There's plenty of room for one more." He said encouragingly.

It was impossible to resist.

**Author's Note:**

> The ending was supposed to have more epilogue, but I wrote that last line and it just felt so perfect I couldn't bring myself to do anything more with it.
> 
> My Tumblr is @huntinggavin if you'd like to yell at me, but right now I'm really not as active as I'd like to be.


End file.
